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Jimmy Olsen: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Jimmyolsentransformations_1447.jpg|frame|Either Jimmy is freaking out over his transformations or he's [[Pstandard Psychic Pstance|trying out his new mental powers]] out on you.]]
Jimmy Olsen is "[[Superman]]'s best friend" and the second best known character from the hero's [[Regular Character|supporting cast]]. He was created for the [[The Adventures of Superman (
An anonymous character who looked like Jimmy turned up as early as ''"Action Comics''" #6 (November, 1938). But the first actual comic book appearance for Mr. Olsen was ''"Superman''" #13 (November-December, 1941). Presumably, he was also created as an [[Audience Surrogate]] for the show's fans, who were mostly young boys. Jimmy also has some resemblance to [[Archie]] (who was also very popular at the time) in that both were impulsive but well-meaning red-haired, freckled teenagers. They even dressed alike, including wearing bowties!
Jimmy works as a photographer for the Daily Planet, which is an excuse for him to accompany the [[Intrepid Reporter|intrepid reporters]] Lois and Clark in their adventures without being one himself. However, he has absolutely no problem getting into far more trouble and sent on far more bizarre adventures than he seeks out, and his unique status, which since ''[[Crisis
Jimmy became so popular he actually starred in his own comic book series, the humorous ''Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen''. Which lasted for 163 issues, from September, 1954 to March, 1974. This series is better remembered today for the amount of bizarre transformations Jimmy underwent in many of its stories. However those were only part of the wackiness featured in the series, which ranged from romantic problems with his girlfriend Lucy Lane (Lois' sister) to temporarily adopting his own superhero identity (several different ones in fact.)
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=== Jimmy Olsen provides examples of the following tropes: ===
* [[Ambiguously Gay]]: A few times, and hilariously so in ''[[All
* [[Adaptive Armor]]: His powers during "Countdown" were triggered only when he was in actual danger.
* [[Action Hero]]: As Mr. Action.
* [[Attractive Bent Gender]]: Jimmy looks pretty darn fetching as a woman, and in one story, a mobster falls for the disguised Jimmy.
* [[Badass Normal]]: Pre-Crisis, Jimmy did some pretty heroic things, mostly to avoid the inevitable debris of hanging around the planet's most powerful being, on top of providing exposés of crime rings for public viewing.
** Technically, this is mostly a case of [[Depending
** Sadly, ''post''-Crisis Jimmy stayed a [[Status Quo Is God|complete and total putz until a few years ago]].
* [[Baleful Polymorph]]: Some of the forms Jimmy was turned into include:
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* [[Canon Foreigner]]: Introduced in the radio show, though some claim an (unnamed) copy boy in an earlier Superman comic was supposed to be Jimmy.
* [[Captain Ersatz]]: Superman and Jimmy Olsen become ''[[Batman]]'' and ''[[Robin]]'' [[Expy|Expies]] Nightwing and Flamebird in the bottled city of Kandor, allowing Jimmy to fight crime alongside a depowered Superman (since Kandor is under a red sun.)
* [[Cloning Blues]]: The Newsboy Legion. Pre-[[Crisis
* [[Cosmic Plaything]]: Jimmy didn't need to know Superman or even do anything extraordinary for things to *just happen* to him.
** [[Fridge Brilliance]]: That may be ''why'' he's Superman's best friend.
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* [[Weirdness Magnet]]: Holy ''crap''.
* [[Wholesome Crossdresser]]: Oh, he also disguised himself as a woman on occasion as part of a mission. Makes you wonder...
** Played, er, "straight" in ''[[All
* [[Written Sound Effect]]: His signal watch's: ''Zee! Zee! Zee!''
* [[Zany Scheme]]: Jimmy either made one, or got involved in one.
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